I’m a person who hates summer. And that isn’t a novel thing, true, but this idea that we’re just gonna slog down over to the lake with a tote bag full of books and burn to a crisp under the unrelenting sun while getting sunblock grease spots all over the delicate pages of a freshly-purchased beach read is insulting to someone like me — a hateful moron who would rather be breathlessly giggling over a cute summer romcom from the icy depths of an air conditioned dark room?!

Anyway, bring on the fall. Gimme my sweaters and my hot chai and my readymade excuse to stay safely indoors while everyone else is picking apples and climbing hay bales and shit: NEW BOOKS. There are a lot of quality queer books coming out in the next few months to be stoked about, across a spectrum of genres — especially everything on this list. There’s some YA (my secret fave), some essay/memoir, and even some poetry (don’t worry, poetry intimidates me, too!). Wake me up when it’s time to read my way through the autumnal equinox.

Darius is a clinically depressed half-Persian kid who doesn’t really fit in at home and suspects he’s going to fare even worse abroad during his first-ever trip to Iran. Once there, Darius meets Sohrab, the boy next door, and everything changes. This looks like an amazing story of loneliness and friendship, and a realistic portrayal of what it’s like to grapple with mental illness. I’m so excited to read it.

Jacobson hit the road and drove from New York to Los Angeles over the course of a few weeks with only music and a freshly broken (newly queer) heart as her companions. She documented this journey in a series of essays that are vulnerable, honest, and deep in a way that we’ve never seen from her before. I love getting to see what’s beyond the surface — especially from a person I already think I know.

Described as “...a refreshing, unapologetic intervention into ongoing conversations about the line between sexual freedom and sexual exploitation,” this collection about identity, sexuality, reclamation, and power promises to be full of poetry that punches you right in the stomach and I’m here for it. I know Britteney from Chicago and she is one of the most dynamic performers I have ever seen, and it’s so dope to watch her blossom. The world needs her words.

I’ve been a fan Moore’s comedy for a long time and was so excited when I heard she was throwing her hat into the memoir ring. In her first essay collection, she shares the story of how she survived emotional neglect and teenage homelessness, and basically raised herself before moving to NYC to pursue her dreams. Despite not having a support system, Moore still manages to believe in romance, magic, and love.

Nathan doesn’t believe in happy endings and has been playing it safe to avoid a broken heart ever since his father died and left his mom to unravel — but this strategy is not without fault. Then his childhood best friend Oliver comes back into his life and Nate finally has an opportunity to tell him about his old feelings. How will he take it?! Tortured young adult romance is the only reason I even get up in the morning, and the fact that this is the story of two dudes made my heart do a cartwheel. I cannot wait for this book.

A four-time Lambda Literary Award finalist, trans artist and author Vivek Shraya explores the ways in which masculinity was imposed on her as a boy and continues to haunt her as a girl. She considers how we might reimagine gender for the 21st century — a lesson so many people desperately need.

When I saw the video for “She Keeps Me Warm” a few years ago, I had no idea who Mary Lambert was but I was like OKAY TWO CUTE GIRLS KISSING I SEE YOU. And I’ve been following her career ever since. “Mary Lambert's poetry is a beacon to anyone who's ever been knocked down ― and picked themselves up again,” reads the book jacket. Isn’t that pretty much all of us? Bring on the beacon.

Transparent is my shit, and Jill Soloway is a fascinating person, so when I saw they had a memoir coming out, I pre-ordered it with a quickness. The book charts Jill’s evolution from straight, married mother of two to identifying as queer and nonbinary, as well as providing a front row seat behind-the-scenes of the #MeToo movement. This memoir is guaranteed to be an important, insightful read.

Libby is the oldest of six children born to Quiverfull parents: strict evangelical Christians who believe that they should have as many children as God allows. Libby’s new neighbor, Zo, is a genderfluid teen whose feminist, socialist, vegetarian family recently relocated from the city in search of a less stressful life. Libby and Zo become friends, and their families aren’t having it — which, to me, sounds like the makings of a perfect juicy family drama.

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